This recipe for nankhatai cookies is Northern India’s version of a shortbread cookie. Crispy on the outside and rich with ghee and cardamom flavor on the inside.
1tablespoonpistachios, (finely chopped; for garnish)
Instructions
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set the oven to preheat at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, gram flour, semolina, powdered sugar, salt, and cardamom powder, and mix well. I recommend that you sift the powdered sugar and gram flour through a strainer to remove lumps.
Add the ghee and combine well with the dry ingredients using your hands. The dough should feel soft. If it is too soft to handle, sprinkle in a little bit of extra flour.
Divide into 20-22 equal portions, then shape into round balls and place on the baking tray. Push each ball down with your fingers to make thick disks. Use a toothpick to make a cross on the top of each cookie, then sprinkle a few finely chopped pistachios on top. Press the nuts in gently so they stick to the nankhatai.
Bake in a preheated oven for 12–15 minutes. You’ll know the nankhatai is ready when you can see a very slight browning around the bottom edges of the cooked cookies. Be careful not to overcook them.
Transfer to a cooling rack or onto a piece of brown paper and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will be very soft when warm, but will firm up after cooling.
Notes
Semolina is a coarse flour made from the middlings of durum hard wheat. This is the same flour you’d use to make homemade pasta. Coarse rice or corn is also sometimes called semolina, so don’t get confused. If this is all you have, I say go ahead and try it. >> Buy semolina hereGram flour (also known as besan, chickpea flour, or garbanzo bean flour)is flour made from Indian chickpeas. >> Buy gram flour hereCardamom has an appealing aromatic flavor similar to cloves or all-spice. It comes whole in green pods. If you have the whole pods, you’ll need to open them up to reveal their black seeds and discard the shells. Once you have the seeds, you can grind them in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder reserved just for spices. You could also buy the powder itself, but it won’t be as flavorful as a freshly ground cardamom. >> Buy cardamom here
MAKE THIS GLUTEN-FREE!
1. Substitute all-purpose flour for any of the following:
1 to 1 Baking Flour by Bob’s Red Mill - Buy on Amazon
Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour by King Arthur Flour - Buy on Amazon